Schism
by Metalshadow1909
Summary: AU. Animapolis is a large city. A large, broken city. It's split up into three districts each not wanting anything to do with the others. What happens when 3 people find all of their ideas shattered?
1. Prologue

**AN: To those of you reading Renegade, a thousand apologies, but I don't think it's going to work out. Anyway, this is my new idea. Please read and review. Oh, and the whole story won't be written in first person, just the prologue, and the narrators will be introduced later. For now, you can try and guess them!**

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><p>Pardon me, your epidermis is showing, sir<br>I couldn't help but note your shade of melanin  
>I tip my hat to the colorful arrangement<br>Cause I see the beauty in the tones of our skin

**- DC Talk, "Colored People"**

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><p>"Welcome to Animapolis, where skyscrapers reach out to touch the heavens. Life's pretty good in this city, if you ask me. The economy's booming, and crime isn't really too much of an issue. Suprisingly, neither is corruption. Believe it or not, politics isn't a dirty word around here. The citizens couldn't be happier anywhere else. Well, at least the ones who live in The Halogen District.<p>

In The Commons, the people are always whining that they can't get any jobs because of class warfare. Honestly, I think that's a bunch of crap. Why would anyone base their judgment on something as trivial as class? It's a total fabrication. I know that utopias aren't supposed to exist, but this is pretty much it.

Except, of course, for the Lucy Simmons District, formerly the Foreign District. That's where most of the warehouses are. Not many people really know what's going on in there, but I can tell you this: Everyone there is always drugged up on something. It's actually kind of scary to think about, a bunch of immigrants bringing drugs into the city. Who's idea was it to even let them live where all the shipping goes on?

Whatever. It's not my problem. Me, I'm just thankful that I get to live here in the Halogen, away from all the crazies. Life is good up here.

Welcome to The Halogen District of Animapolis, the City of Light."

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><p>"Welcome to Animapolis, where the slums go on for miles. Life's pretty touch and go in this city, if you ask me, but we get by. Crime's pretty bad, but the real thorn in our side is this economy. It's not the economy itself, per se, but it's the fact that our people, those living in The Common District, can't find jobs anywhere outside of this district. It's the most outrageous thing I've seen in years.<p>

It's those chumps in The Halogen. They think that just because they have more money than us, it makes them somehow better. They refuse to give us any jobs out of some superiority complex. Truth is, we're people just like them, and we've gotta eat, too! Of course, we're not so desperate as to look for work in the Lucy Simmons District.

That place is crazy, the Simmons District. The stories I've heard come out of there are absolutely insane. We're all afraid to go in there. Apparently everyone over there does drugs. And frankly, high people aren't exactly the most logical people in the world. I heard about this one guy, killed his wife one day, but still slept with the body. I don't want any of that.

No thanks! Life may not be so great here in The Commons, but it's sure better than anything that's going on in the LSD.

Welcome to The Common District of Animapolis, the City of Decay."

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><p>"Welcome to Animapolis, where everything is crazy. Half of the buildings here are built without even a hint of thought or logic. It's all based on what looks cool while you're on a trip. And everyone knows that nothing makes sense while you're on a trip. The colors here are crazy, too. Same type of deal. Really the only thing most of the people here care about is where to find the best rave. Good luck finding it. There are dozens every night. I'm just glad I was pulled out of that lifestyle when I was. It could be worse, though.<p>

I could live in The Halogen, where all the pompous, stuck up snobs live. They think they can just go on living off the fat of the land while the rest of the city falls to pieces. What they don't realize is that the fall is coming to them, sooner rather than later.

The Commons isn't any better. They say they want to be able to live like normal people, but they won't even look us in the eye. It's like we have some kind of disease that they're afraid they might catch if they get too close to us. Bunch of hypocrites.

It doesn't really matter to me that much though. I'm not afraid of this place. If they don't want to let me out of here, then I guess the only thing left is to make this place a little better.

Welcome to The Lucy Simmons District of Animapolis, the City of the Dead."

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><p>One status<p>

One city

One world


	2. Wake Up Call

**AN: Here it is, the first chapter! Read and review, because I know you all have opinions.**

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><p>I believed in what I hoped for<p>

And I hoped in things unseen

I had wings and dreams could soar

I just don't feel like flying anymore

- **"Every New Day", Five Iron Frenzy**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Wake-Up Call<strong>

"Listen, Mr. …uh…Espio. I admire your boldness in applying for this job, but I think we're gonna have to keep looking for someone else." Espio looked with bewilderment at the well-groomed wolf in front of him, who was the Animapolis PD Commissioner.

"But sir" he protested, trying to be as polite as possible. "I don't see why you can't hire me. I've closed 19 cases in the past 6 months. Not only do none of your detectives have that kind of record, but those were all the cases that they either couldn't solve or wouldn't investigate!"

The Commissioner couldn't argue that, but still. Something told him that the grimy purple chameleon from The Commons in front of him wouldn't exactly be a good poster boy for the department. "Look, Espio, if you have all of these cases anyway, then why come here for a job. You seem to be faring all right by yourself. Plus, there's a lot less crime here in The Halogen. You'd be working a lot less."

"It's not about the work. I need money!" Espio was having a very hard time with the "being polite" thing. In fact, he was about to explode.

"What's wrong? I mean, 19 cases. Don't your people have any money?" At that, Espio began taking deep breaths, trying to calm himself. Needless to say, he was not enjoying the Commissioner's condescending tone. "Here's the thing, Espio, if I go out and hire someone from The Commons, then my superiors are going to hear about it, and I'll be in major trouble. Not to mention that when the rest of the Commoners hear about it, they'll be scrambling over to The Halogen like it was a freakin' gold rush. I just can't do it."

"Then I guess I'll just have to check back later." With that, Espio stormed out of the Commissioner's office, into the twilight of the Animapolis night. He walked through the streets of The Halogen, meandering towards his house in The Commons. Was it too much to ask for a job on this side of the district line? All he needed was enough money to live in a decent house, one that didn't let the rain in and never let the cold out. He looked up at one of the skyscrapers. He wasn't asking for that kind of lifestyle. He just wanted a chance to live a normal life, where he didn't have to struggle to survive. Bet every time he tried to get a job that paid any real money, it was always the same. Some chubby, arrogant bigot would tell him that they didn't hire Commoners. What was it that made someone less than a person? Whatever it was, Espio was no more to them than a mere-

"Hey, freak!" Wonderful, bigots with a little more energy. He turned around to face the voice. Well, if they wanted a fight, they were certainly going to get one.

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><p>Tails loved walking through the city at night. There was just something about the skyscrapers with their lights reaching toward the sky that made it magical. Or at least that's what he told Cosmo every time he took her on a midnight stroll through the streets of The Halogen. It was special, no doubt, but guys didn't use words like "magical" unless it was about sports. Unfortunately, he was alone in this particular instance. He was walking home from a late night at work. He was the very definition of a nerd. He could do everything from writing software to programming a complex robot to building said robot. The only problem was that he didn't really have any space for the building part of it. That was the only problem with living in The Halogen. There were hardly any private spaces big enough to build in, and all those were mass-production factories that no one was going to give up. So, like it or not, he had to stick with the technical side of things most of the time.<p>

"Hey, freak!" Tails was yanked out of his thoughts by a yell in the alley across the street. He wondered if the comment was directed at him, but then he noticed the grubby chameleon on the far side of the alley being approached by three ne'er-do-well punks who were looking to have some fun at his expense. Tails started running towards them, intending to help the chameleon in his plight. It was apparent, however, that he probably wouldn't be needing any help.

One of the guys approached him quickly, trying to wrap him up and tackle him to the ground. It was a completely careless move that revealed the total idiocy of the attacker. The chameleon simply brought his fist up into the guy's stomach, knocking the wind out of him in one blow. One down, two to go. The next assailant went at him more cautiously, trying to find his weakness. Somewhere in his concentration, he forgot that his opponent was not a statue, and before he knew it, a roundhouse to the chest sent him sprawling on the ground. And then there was one.

Tails watched the third thug draw a knife out of his pocket as the second went on the offensive. He ran over and tackled him just as he was going to take the chameleon by surprise. He picked himself up off the floor quickly, preparing for a counter attack. His adversary rose as well and took his stance, only to fall forward as the chameleon hit him square in the back. Suddenly, the chameleon grabbed him and pinned him against the wall, his fist raised. "Friend or foe?"

Tails was taken aback. "Whoa, take it easy! I'm a friend!"

The chameleon's eyes lost their flame, and he let go of the kitsune. "Sorry, I never can tell whenever I'm over here. My name's Espio."

"I'm Tails."

"Well, Tails, if you'll excuse me, I have to get home." He started to walk off, but then he heard footsteps running after him. "You sure you want to join me?"

"I've got nothing better to do tonight. You live in The Commons?"

"Yeah."

"What were you doing down in The Halogen?"

"I was looking for a job. I'm a detective."

"Any luck?"

Espio scoffed. "Don't patronize me. I've been looking for a job over here for months. No one in The Halogen wants to hire anyone from The Commons."

Tails scoffed in return. "Oh, don't give me that 'They won't give me a job' spew. I have never seen any proof that Halogen companies were discriminating against the rest of the city."

"Really? Then why was I just turned down by the Animapolis Police Department."

"Maybe they already have the best detectives money can buy."

Espio looked at Tails. Time to blow his mind. "How was that buffalo chicken your girlfriend made you for dinner?" He smiled as the fox stopped and stared at him with a face of incredulity.

Tails was so excited that he could barely get words out of his mouth. "How-how-how did you do that? That was incredible. How did you do it!"

"You've got buffalo sauce on your breath" he explained, still smiling. "And there's some bleu cheese there too."

"That doesn't explain how you knew that my girlfriend made it for me. That part actually kind of creeps me out."

"Your hands smell like flowers and plastic. I guessed you dinner was in a plastic container, which was prepared by a plant-based life form. Unless you're mom is a plant based life form or you got married really early, it would have to have been prepared by your girlfriend."

"Incredible." Tails looked around at his surroundings as they spoke. He knew that they had crossed over into The Commons because the proud skyscrapers had been replaced by worn, decrepit houses with sagging roofs. "So they wouldn't hire you just because you're a Commoner? That's stupid."

"That's what we've been saying for a long time, but that's the reality of living in this city. Even worse, the police will hardly ever go beyond the district borders, so people down here are left to fend mainly for themselves. Once you're in The Commons, there's almost no way out. Oh, here it is." He stopped in front of one of the better-looking houses. At least, that was how it appeared to Tails in the low light. "Well, Tails, thank you for accompanying me on my walk. It was nice to have someone to talk to."

"Yeah, no problem." Tails seemed distant, lost in thought. "Guess I'll be heading home, then. Goodnight, Espio."


	3. Change the World

**AN: I'm back. Hopefully this time I'll stay back. To anyone eagerly awaiting this, I'm so sorr for being grounded for a month. Not fun.**

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><p>Daylight dies<br>Blackout the sky  
>Does anyone care?<br>Is anybody there?

-**"Give Me a Sign", Breaking Benjamin**

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><p><strong>Change the World<strong>

Tails awoke in his apartment the next morning still thinking about what Espio had told him last night. Was it really true that people here in The Halogen wanted nothing to do with people from The Commons just because they had less money? Tails found it extremely hard to believe that. He had never heard anyone ever talking about how horrible the Commoners were. Of course, when was the last time he heard anyone talking about the Commoners at all?

The doorbell pulled him out of his thoughts. He opened the door and there stood Cosmo, as usual. She would come over every morning to see him off to work and prepare his lunch for him, and on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays she would stay clean up his apartment. Tails felt a little uncomfortable with Cosmo doing all of this work for him, but he would never tell her that…again. He had said it once, and when he did Cosmo went on this rant about how the only thing she could ever do right is housework and how if he didn't let her do his housework she would have to sit alone at her apartment with nothing to do and blah blah blah blah blah! And so if it made Cosmo happy to do his housework, then he wasn't going to argue. Besides, she only did what she thought she had good reason to do. For cleaning his apartment: "If I don't do it, nobody would. You sure wouldn't." Untrue. For seeing him off to work: "If I didn't you'd get depressed one day and throw yourself out your office window." Also untrue. For making his lunch: "What am I supposed to do, let you eat Hot Pockets every day?" Again, un…actually, Tails wouldn't mind that too much.

As Tails showered that morning, his mind wandered once again to the subject of class warfare. It was a little disconcerting to think that Animapolis could be so divided based on wealth. And how was someone living in The Commons even supposed to get out of their if they could never get a job that paid anything? Just like Espio had said, "almost no way out".

"Hey, Cosmo, you don't find anything about this city strange, do you?" he asked after his shower.

"No, why? Is something bothering you?"

"It's nothing. So what's for lunch? It smells good."

"Thank you." She said sarcastically through a smile. "It's a tuna sandwhich."

Tails looked at her wondering how she could make tuna smell like a meal fit for a king. "Tuna sandwhich?" he mumbled, more to himself than to her. He shook his head, took the food, and walked toward the door. "I've gotta stop letting you make me lunch. I'm gonna get fat."

"I love you too."

"I might be running a little late tonight. If I am, you don't have to wait for me" he called as headed out.

"Okay." What, did he expect her to wait around for him? She sighed. Men.

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><p>When Tails got to work, he decided to do a little detective work of his own. He spent around an hour doing nothing but walking around the office, looking in every cubicle, determining where the occupant most probably lived. Satisfied, he returned to his cubicle and actually started working, glad no one had noticed his little foray. And so he tried to get his mind off of the subject, but he couldn't. Finally, he flipped open his wristwatchsupercomputer that he had designed for himself. "Hey, Nicole, open up that criminal justice project I did."

Then the watch talked back. "What do I look like, your slave? You could at least have a little respect and say please every once in a while!"

Tails face palmed. "I still haven't worked out that TOM bug, have I?"

"It's not a bug! It is a completely natural function of all females-"

Tails sighed. Not again. "Nicole, we've been over this. You're not a real person. You're just a computer that happens to be smarter than most people. Now, make a note to fix the bug and open up the project!"

She scoffed. "Fine. Any particular order you want me to complete those operations in?"

"Ok!" Nicole officially had Tail exasperated. "Clearly you are in no mood to do anything. Bye Nicole" he said mockingly as he closed the screen on his watch.

"Tails, don't you dar-" Oops. Too late. Now, what was he doing again? Oh, right, his criminal justice project. While he was in school, he had created a web page that tracked arrests in the three districts of Animapolis. It even gave a ratio between the districts. It took some searching, mainly because it was a few years old, but he was finally able to find it. His project would tell him if the cops were really afraid to cross into The Commons or The LSD. What he saw amazed him. There were dozens of arrests in The Halogen, but only about five or six in The Commons, all close to the border, and even less in The Lucy Simmons District. Either the cops were afraid of something, or they just didn't give a damn.

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><p>Tails rode up the elevator, watching out of the glass window as the city shrank smaller and smaller beneath him. He hated talking to his dad in the office. It was just weird.<p>

The elevator arrived at the top floor. Tails exited and was greeted by the secretary, who just so happened to be his mother. "Tails? What brings you up here?"

"Hi, mom. I just need to talk to dad about something. Is he busy?"

"He's in a meeting right now, but he should be out in a few minutes. What do you need to talk to him about?" she asked as she typed something on her computer.

"I'd rather not talk about it with anyone else yet."

Suddenly her typing stop. She looked up at him, alarmed. "Tails! You didn't…you know…?"

Tails was confused. "What? No, I don't know what you're talking about. What are you so worried that I did?"

"Well…you know!"

"Whatever. We'll talk about this after." Tails said as the door to his father's office opened and he dismissed whoever it was that was meeting with him. Then he turned his attention to Tails, excited. "Hey, son! What brings you up here?"

"I need to talk to you about something."

"_In private!_" his mother added with a little too much emphasis.

His father's face fell. "About what?"

"I'll tell you inside."

Once they had entered the office, his father closed the double doors, turned to him and said, with a worried look on his face "Tails, did you…you know…?"

Tails was frustrated now, possibly even more than he was with Nicole earlier. "No, I don't know! What is it with you and mom? If you think I did it, then just ask me if I did it! I'm not going to lie to you."

"Did you get Cosmo pregnant?"

"Uhhh, what?" Tails laughed a little. Did his father really just ask him that?

"You heard me. Did you get Cosmo pregnant?"

Tails couldn't help grinning. "No, dad, it isn't that kind of talk." His father visibly relaxed. "I just wanted to talk to you about class warfare." That was a subtle way of putting it.

"Class warfare? What about it? Why are you suddenly so interested?"

"Well, I met this guy yesterday. He was from The Commons. He told me that no one in The Halogen wanted to hire him, not even the APD, even though he was a better detective than any they had. I didn't believe him at first. Then I decided to take a look around the office, and lo and behold, no Commoners." He looked at his father accusingly. "Why does your company only hire Halogens? Is there something wrong with Commoners!"

"Tails, calm yourself" his father said gently. He sighed, wondering how he should put it. "Tails, the world isn't always such a fair place. I'll agree with you that there should be no issue with hiring Commoners, but there is. Now, if I were to start hiring all of the competent Commoners that my managers recommend, do you know what would happen? It would be a major scandal. People would begin to wonder why PI Software was hiring all of the trailer trash and they would expect it to reflect on our products. Stock goes down, people rush to sell, stock goes down again, and the company goes down. You may not like it, Tails, but you can't change the world alone."


	4. Case and Point

**AN: No, the third person in this chapter is not the third narrator. He will be part of the group, though.**

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><p>I don't believe you're dull reaction<br>What we need's a call to action  
>Display it in your coldest caption<br>What we need's a call to action

**- "Call to Action", Pillar**

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><p><strong>Case and Point<strong>

Tails knocked on the worn door in front of him. He had decided to take the rest of the day off, still seething over the conversation he'd had with his father. He wasn't sure whether he was furious that his father _had_ done nothing or that he _could_ do nothing, because everything he had said about the company crashing was true. It was simple economics. Of course, his economics teacher in high school had been very clear: life wasn't all unicorns and bunnies.

Above the door, Tails saw a faded sign, which with a little effort he could tell was supposed to say "Chaotix Detective Agency". Beneath the sign was a circular window with a bare pane. Tails couldn't imagine living here. He wasn't being proud, he just literally could not wrap his mind around the idea of poverty. He had never had to go without anything in his life.

"Tails?" He looked to his right, startled. He had somehow managed to overlook a gaping hole that stretched from the foundation of the building halfway to the roof and across the convergence of the two walls. So much for one of the nicer houses. "What are you doing here?" asked a confused Espio.

"I needed to talk to you about something."

"What?"

"Can I come in?" Espio nodded and stepped aside, letting Tails in through the hole. There were no real rooms in the house, seeing as most of the walls were crumbling. Not much furniture, either. A cot off to the left and a desk at the far wall. There wasn't even a chair to accompany the desk.

"Do you want any food, something to drink?"

"No, I'm good. Thanks." Tails took a few more moments to take in his surroundings while Espio looked at him intently, still wondering why he had decided to show up. "Wow…" Tails muttered without really meaning to. Then he brought his attention back to Espio. "Still no job?"

"Still no job. Is that all you came to ask, because I'm kinda-"

"Do you think that a company that came out in support of Commoners would go under?"

"What?" Espio was thrown off by the question. "Umm…Most probably." Tails nodded, accepting the answer he already knew to be the truth. "Actually, it's funny that you mention that."

"Why? It's not like any company has actually done it."

"No. At least not publicly. Come here, let me show you something." He led Tails over to the desk and pulled a folder out of one of the drawers. He pulled out a few pictures and set them on the desk. "Recognize any of these people?"

Tails did recognize a few of them from back when he was young and would go to work with his mom. "They're all CEOs."

"CEOs of very large companies. Companies that tried to quietly help out the Commoners. But they weren't quiet enough." Tails looked at Espio, waiting for an explanation. "They're all dead."

"What? When did they die? I haven't heard anything about it!"

"They've all died in the past few weeks, and you haven't heard anything because it's things like this that could kill a company. They're all trying to find a way to minimize their losses."

Tails continued to pore over the pictures in disbelief. "So, they all died because they were trying to help people in The Commons? Could you be wrong about that?"

"A few of the victims had some personal enemies, but all of the assassinations were done by the same guy. Either that, or mail bombs are becoming really trendy."

"And no one's found the guy?"

"Well, _I_ am not technically on the case. But no, The Animapolis PD don't even have a suspect yet."

"Hell…If any other companies catch wind of this, The Commons will be even worse off than it is now." Suddenly, Tails realized what Espio had just finished saying. "Wait, if you're not on this case, then why do you know so much about it?"

"Because if anyone does decide to show up and hire me for this job, it's one that'll pay a lot."

"How much!" Tails asked excitedly. The beginnings of a brilliant, psychotic idea were forming in his mind.

"Why?" Tails now had a huge grin on his face. "Tails, what is it?"

"Just tell me how much a job like this would bring in!" He was bouncing on the balls of his feet, suddenly restless.

Espio shrugged. "I don't know, probably around ten thousand dollars."

"I'll give you twenty. We're going to solve this case!"

"Whoa, slow down." He held up a hand. "First, where are you going to get this money, and second, we? What do you think this is, a Batman movie?"

Tails forced himself to calm down and be still. "The money's no issue, me being the son of Amadeus Prower. And trust me, I can handle myself."

"Would it be a bad thing if I asked who exactly you were talking about?"

"Amadeus Prower? The CEO of Prower Industry Software?" Espio shook his head. "Well, given the circumstances, it's probably a good thing that you don't know who he is. So, do we have a deal?" Tails stuck out his hand.

Espio thought it over. Twenty thousand dollars. He may not have known just what he was getting into, teaming up with an eccentric young fox, but if it would help get him out of this rat hole…He shook Tails's hand firmly.

They turned to see a very young bee walk in through the hole in the wall, skimming over some papers. "Hey, Espio! I got the data you-" The bee's breath caught when he looked up. He dropped the papers he was carrying. "You're Miles Prower!..."

"Uhhh… yeah." Tails gave Espio a questioning glance.

"OHMYGOSHICANTBELIEVEIT…" He went on with his exclamations.

"Tails, meet Charmy. He's the guy I go to whenever I need any technical work done. CHARMY!"

The yelling stopped. "Yeah?"

"Did you bring the stuff?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." He began gathering up the papers.

Espio turned back to Tails. "You'll have to excuse my associate. He can get excited about some things."

"All right! Here it is!" Charmy proclaimed with pride, handing over the papers to Espio.

"Thank you."

Charmy stared in awe at Tails while Espio read the papers. "Hey, Charmy, how do you know who I am? Most of my friends don't even know my real name."

"Are you kidding me? Your dad's Amadeus Prower, only one of the most influential people in the technology world in the past few decades. Why _wouldn't_ you want to own up to that?"

"My dad throws a big shadow. I'd rather live my own life."

Espio began muttering to himself. "So the bombs were each set to go off in one minute? They were big bombs, that doesn't leave a lot of time to get away."

Tails whirled around. "Is that our case?" Espio nodded as he once again picked up the case file and began dumping some other pictures into the trash can beside the desk. Most of them were mug shots. "Does this mean we have some suspects?"

"Suspect." He held up a picture of a large, white bird. "Storm the Albatross. He's the only guy that would be able to move fast enough to get away from the blast in time."

"How does someone that big move so fast!" Charmy half asked, half yelled.

"No one really knows. Reports from a few people who've caught short glimpses of him are sketchy." He turned back to Tails. "But he isn't the type to go and blow people away. He's taking orders from someone."

"All we have to do is find him and make him talk."

"Finding him is easy. The hard part is catching him. And as for making him talk, no one's ever gotten to that step before."

The setting sun began shining through the hole, striking Tails's eyes. It was only then that he realized how late it had gotten. "I should probably get going. It's a long walk home." He started towards the hole.

"Hey Tails." He stopped and glanced at Espio over his shoulder. "Why'd you hire me for this job? Why do you want this case solved so badly?"

"Because helping people out shouldn't be something to fear." He walked out, knowing that he was one step closer to actually changing the world.

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><p><strong>AN: Please review. Pretty please. With sprinkles.<strong>


	5. Let's Go

**AN: Sorry, I've been a little...distracted, lately. But I'm back.**

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><p>Let's go, everybody off the wall<br>Let's go, get your backs up off the wall  
>Let's go, everybody off the wall<br>Let's go, if you feel it then get on the floor

**-"Let's Go", KJ-52 feat. Trevor McNevan**

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><p><strong>Let's Go<strong>

They had decided to meet back at Espio's house the next day to figure out how to start their investigation. And of course, Charmy was late. Very late. Espio was growing impatient. "It's already almost noon. Can't this wait until later?"

"No, not really. We're gonna nee this equipment as soon as possible and I don't have time to modify it myself."

The door opened. "Here's Charmy!"

"Finally" declared Espio. "What took you so long?"

"Well, it's spring. Have you noticed all the pollen in the air? There's this thing that bees do. It's part of the whole 'birds and the bees' thing. We-"

Espio facepalmed. "There is so much wrong with you Charmy."

"Hey, my psychologist said that ADD and pure stupidity were very common conditions. Anyway, why did you guys call me over here?"

Tails spoke up. "Charmy, have you ever heard of the PI WT50?"

Charmy gasped. "You mean the Push-To-Talk-enabled smartphone from Prower Industries? That's like, the most amazing gadget in the market. Who hasn't heard of it?" Espio raised his hand. "Well, that goes without saying." Turning his attention back to Tails, he asked "Why? What about it?"

With that, Tails took three of the phones out from the sling he was wearing over his shoulder. Charmy stood in awe. "I need you to take these and modify them. I want them to be able to receive and send audio at the same time, all the time."

"Wait, do I get one!"

"Yes, Charmy, one of them is for you. Now go. I want those back by tomorrow."

"Yes, sir!" Charmy hurried out.

Tails smiled as he watched him go. "That is one crazy kid." Espio nodded in agreement. "So, where are we going first?"

Espio briefed him while they walked. "Jason Armonzief's office. He was the latest victim. CEO of Fission Energy. Know anything about them?"

"Of course. All nerds do. They're company works to innovate energy, making it cheaper and cleaner. They've been pushing for nuclear energy lately, saying it's the next big thing. What were they up to that ticked this guy off?"

"They were installing nuclear generators in The Commons. Can't say I'm too happy about them setting up potential bombs in my backyard."

"You can relax. The chances of anything going wrong with one of those things are slim to none."

"Whatever. Right now that's not the problem." He pointed up. "That is."

Tails looked toward the top of the skyscraper, but didn't notice anything unusual. "It looks alright from down here. Did they really fix it up that fast?"

Espio shook his head. "You'll find out when we get up there." What Tails found out was that there was a team of cops in the charred wreckage that used to be Armonzief's office. The entire scene was hidden from the public through the use of holograms.

An officer stopped them before they could get fifty feet into the room. "This is a crime scene. I'm going to have to ask you to head back down the elevator."

"My name is Espio. I'm a private detective. My client and I would like to have a look around."

The cop seemed to notice Espio for the first time. "Well, no private investigators are allowed in, either" he said rather snobbishly.

Espio looked over his shoulder. "Really? Because my old friend Vector is over there. He's a PI." The cop was speechless. "We'll just let ourselves in." They walked past him into the office and approached a spot on the floor marked with three concentric circles. "This must be where they think the blast was triggered." Espio crouched to study the area. "Hmm, that's strange."

"What?"

"All of this broken glass. It's scattered around the blast point evenly, like it contained the bomb, but the bombs are normally a lot bigger than this. Unless…"

"Espio. How's it going buddy? How's life in The Commons?" Espio stood and turned to face Vector, who stood a whole head taller than him. "Speaking of which, how'd you manage to get this job? Isn't it a little high class for you?"

"What about you? This case seems to be giving you some difficulty." Espio smiled.

"What are you talking about! The Armonzief family hired me to investigate a simple bombing. Easiest thing I've done in two years." Vector puffed out his chest with pride.

"Then what are you still doing at the scene of the crime? It's been three days, Vector. You're not fooling anyone."

"Oh, really? Well, you think you could do better. Please, enlighten us all!"

"Yeah, right. So _you_ can take credit for _my_ work. I don't think so." He looked over at Tails, who was just shutting his wristwatch. "Let's go, Tails. We can come back later." They turned and walked back toward the elevator.

"That's right! No use snooping around when they've already got the finest detective in-" That was when a careless cop accidentally stepped on Vector's tail. "Ow! What the hell are you doing! You blind! I oughtta…" The rest of his rant was lost to them as the elevator door closed.

Tails gave Espio a questioning look. "What was that all about?"

"Long story. Basically, I solved a case but didn't go to the police because I was afraid my suspect would figure out that we were looking for him and take off. Vector, wanting to take the credit, convinced me to tell him what happened. He went to the police and the suspect took off."

"Was it a big case?"

Espio nodded. "It was the Lucy Simmons case." Tails grimaced. Definitely a big case. "I was this close. The guy didn't even know I was on to him." Tails shook his head as they exited the building. "That's why I can't work if Vector is anywhere near the crime scene. Not to mention he's completely incompetent. I'll just have to go back later tonight."

"Or we could study the scan of the room I had Nicole make."

"Nicole? Who's Nicole?"

"She's the advanced AI system I created to be my personal assistant. She's linked to all my computers, including my watch." He held up his wrist, which just so happened to be completely naked. "What!" They turned toward the sound of footsteps running into an alley. "You gotta be kidding me. Hey!" Tails began to chase the thief through the alleys. He was a monkey, tall and lankey. Tails had trouble keeping up. The monkey started knocking over trash cans, trying to slow him down, but he used his tails to fly over them. However, he was tiring. He needed to get in better shape.

They turned a corner. Tails noticed someone standing there, spray painting the wall. "Hey! Stop that guy!" Unfortunately, the pedestrian didn't even look back as the monkey ran by him. Tails stopped, gasping for air with his hands on his knees. He looked up at the cobalt blue hedgehog next to him, who was still spraying down the wall. "Why…Why didn't you stop him?"

"I was busy. Relax, he won't get far. What'd he take?"

"My watch."

"Watch. Got it." He stood back and looked over his work. "Hold this for me" he said, tossing the can of paint to Tails. And just like that he was out of sight. Tails stared after him, amazed. How did he…? Tails looked up at the graffiti. It was an "A", inscribed in a circle, with lines going out from the ends of the "A" and meeting to form three triangles. It was the crest that appeared on the flag of Animapolis. Then the hedgehog was back, Tails's watch in hand. "Here."

"How do you do that?" asked Tails, fascinated.

"What? Run that fast? Or were you talking about my amazing looks?"He twitched his eyebrows up and down a few times

"The running…that's incredible. I've never seen anything like it."

"Well, you'll see a lot of that stuff here in the LSD. Things get a little crazy out here."

"Wait, we're LSD?" Tails took a proper look around for the first time. Taking in the colorful array of unusual buildings. "I've never actually been over here. It's…surreal. Like something out of a dream." He shook his head, snapping out of his trance. "Anyway, thank you, uh…"

"Sonic…Sonic the Hedgehog."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yes, ladies and gentleman, he's here with his signature intro! Review, please. And by "please", I mean "or else."<strong>


	6. The Reckless Youth

We are healing  
>But it's killing us inside<br>Can we take a chance?  
>When faith and fear collide<p>

**- "Collide", Skillet**

* * *

><p>"Say, that's a nice watch" Sonic said as he handed it over. "Where'd you get it?"<p>

"I made it" Tails said matter of factly.

"Psh! No, really, where'd you get it?"

"No, really, I made it." Tails was getting a little annoyed. He really didn't want to stick around in the LSD for longer than he had to. "Listen, I gotta go. I've got business to take care of." He started walking away.

"Ooh, what kind of business?" Sonic followed him. Tails was getting the sense that not everything was right in Sonic's head.

"Hey, you live here in the LSD?"

"Yeah, why?" Sonic's face dropped. "Oh. No, I'm not on anything. Been clean for four years. Of course, after 17 years of acid and morphine, your brain never really recovers."

"Oh. Sorry."

"It's alright. I always knew this would happen…Anyways, I guess I better get going." He turned to walk away.

"Hold on." Tails hated giving people guilt trips. "What is that?" he asked, pointing to the large black A on the wall. "Why'd you draw that?"

Sonic scratched the back of his head. "Well, I like reminding myself that all this," he lifted his arms, gesturing to the deformed buildings around him, "isn't everything Animapolis has to offer. I like to think there's something to hope for."

Tails laughed. "Then you ran into the right person. You got anything to do today?"

"Other than to paint ten more of these, no, not really. Why?"

"Follow me."

* * *

><p>"Had some trouble chasing the guy down?" Espio asked when Tails finally emerged from the alley. "Who's this?"<p>

"Espio, this is Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic, this is Espio, the man helping me change Animapolis."

They shook hands. "What do you mean, 'change Animapolis'?"

"I'm a private investigator. Tails hired me to figure out why any business executive with an agenda to help the lower classes end up being blown to bits."

"Wow, really? That's like something you'd hear from a goat at a bar mitzvah!"

Tails and Espio stared at Sonic for a few seconds, trying to decipher what he had just said. Espio finally gave up. "Uh, what?"

"You've never been to a bar mitzvah with a talking goat?" It donned on Sonic that what he was saying was completely ridiculous. He started trying to work it out in his head, mumbling to himself. "Hmm…maybe that was my brothers sixteenth birthday. No, no, that was out on the field…Aha!" He turned back to Espio and Tails. "It was my friends high school graduation. That's what it was. Sorry, sometimes it's hard to figure out what actually went on."

"O…kay. Um, Tails, can I talk to you for a second?" They moved aside. "Did you find this guy in The LSD?"

"Yeah-"

"Well why'd you bring him here!" Espio seemed just a tad bit upset.

"Because he said he wanted a better Animapolis. I thought he could help us."\

"Help us! He's a druggee, Tails! How is he supposed to help us? And what's worse, I know exactly who he is. It's not good when you're on an investigator's file!"

"What? What for?"

"He caused Lucy Simmons' death, Tails. Remember that? Young girl from The Halogen, found dead in the foreign district four years ago? Yeah, it's his fault."\

Tails was freaking out. He had just made friends with a possible murderer. "How?"

"Don't know. All the witnesses were too stoned to give me a straight story, but they all know it was Sonic the Hedgehog that did it. I had him, too. At least, I would have, had Vector not gone to the press."

Crap. Now what was he supposed to do. "So, technically, you can't prove that he did it?"

"Technically, no."

"Good. Either you calm down and let him help us, or I fire you and I do the job myself." That would clear the air, for the moment.

"Fine. Why do we need his help again?"

"Because you said that Storm was fast, right? So we need someone who can catch him. And that detail falls to Sonic. Hey, Sonic!" Sonic walked over and joined the conversation. "How fast can you run?"

"I don't know, I've never clocked myself."

"Well, now's a good time to start." Tails flipped his watch open. "Nicole, clock him." With that, Sonic took off running…and appeared again in a second. "What was that, Nicole?"

"Um, 473.8 miles per hour. I think. Remember, my speedometer only goes so far."

"Right. I should probably fix that. Anyway, that," he addressed Espio, "is why we need his help to catch Storm."

"Wait, what!" Sonic was a little beyond confused. "Catch who?"

"Storm the Albatross," Espio answered.

"Yeah, I know Storm."

"He's the guy delivering the bombs. A number of people have been on his trail, but he's too fast."

"Too fast? Have you seen the guy? He's like the Incredible Hulk, only when he gets old and flabby. No way he moves that fast."

"Well, apparently he does, so when we find him, we're going to need you to grab him for us."

"Right…so Storm is blowing people away. I catch him, it saves lives? So we're pretty much gonna be superheroes."

Espio rolled his eyes. "We're investigators. We bring people to justice."

"Yeah, like the Justice League," Sonic countered, smiling.

Tails couldn't help but instigate. "He's got you there, Espio."

"Shut up, Tails. Don't encourage him."

"Whatever. It's getting dark. Let's head back over to your place so we can…What were we going to do before my watch got stolen?"

"We were going to go over the scan of the crime scene that you had Nicole make."

"Right, then. Let's get to it."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Wanna yell-at-me-forknow-why-I'm being slow? Follow me on Twitter (metalshadow1909) and add me on Google+ (search "metalshadow1909", name's Josiah Fernandez).**

**Hmm...I should probably stop advertising myself. Anyway, next up: Crime Scene Investigation!**


	7. CSI: Animapolis

We'd listen to the radio play all night  
>Didn't want to go home to another fight<br>Through all the hard times in my life  
>Those nights kept me alive<p>

**- "Those Nights", Skillet**

* * *

><p>Tails flipped open his watch. "All right, Nicole. Pull up the scan of Mr. Armonzief's office." They were back in Espio's houseoffice/pile of rubble. The room came to life, the bright hologram contrasting strongly with the surrounding twilight. The three-dimensional model consumed the building, allowing the group to be immersed in the image. "Espio, you're up."

"All right, let's see what we've got here." He walked over to the area of the room he had been examining before they had been run off by Vector. "This shattered glass still isn't making very much sense." Sonic and Tails let Espio mumble on. He was clearly in his own little world. "Faint scorch marks on the ground underneath. Clearly not the origin of the blast…Hold on."

Sonic was off to the side, getting anxious. "What? What is it?"

Espio looked up at him. "I don't know. It's some kind of white substance." He spoke up. "Hey, Nicole, can you give me anything on this?"

"I can have a full analysis ready. Just give me a few minutes."

"Thanks." He moved on, walking around the virtual room, stopping at the far edge of the floor-to-ceiling window. He turned towards Tails and Sonic. "Bombs 101: With scorch marks like these" he said, gesturing toward the black splashes on the wall and floor, "it's probably made with gasoline. Not hi-tech by any means. We're definitely not looking for anyone in The Halogen." Suddenly, an image flashed up above the shattered glass, along with some text. "Uh, Tails, what is that?"

Tails walked up to the graphic and started reading. "It's the test results for the substance. It's blood, apparently. Probably Seedrian blood by the color of it. Crap. Nicole, please tell me it's not who I think it is."

"Sorry, Tails. I checked, but it doesn't look like Armonzief knew any Seedrians."

Sonic couldn't contain his curiosity. "Hold up. Who do you think it is?"

"I can take a guess." Espio knew exactly who it was. "It's Lucas Inanis, the only Seedrian CFO in the city. And I'm guessing by Tails' reaction that he has something to do with his girlfriend."

"Wait, how did you…" Tails wasn't thinking straight. He was a little busy figuring out how he was supposed to tell Cosmo that her father had been blown up.

"Plant based life form that made you dinner, remember? Anyway, you can relax. Armonzief was the only victim of the bombing. Here's what I think happened: Armozief starts helping out the Commoners. His CFO flips because he thinks it's a waste of money. They have a meeting. It gets heated. Armonzief hits Inanis over the head with a bottle of something strong, probably vodka. The secretary comes in and hands Armonzief a package while security is carrying Inanis out. He takes it over to the window, opens it, and gets the hell blown out of him."

Tails was, once again, impressed. "I'd say that's as good as we're gonna get. Nicole, bring it down." The virtual room receded. "Now what?"

"Now we get a good night's rest," Espio replied. "Tomorrow, I'll go out and talk to my contacts, see if any of them have spotted Storm."

"Should we all just stay here?" asked Tails. "I think it'd probably be better, save time."

"Sure. Just as long as you guys don't break anything" he said, smiling wryly at his own expense. "Just find a spot and hunker down."

"All right!" Sonic was excited. "I love sleepovers! We should stay up all night and tell scary stories!"

Espio wasn't in the mood. "Or we could all get a _good night's sleep!_"

Just then, Charmy walked in the door, half yelling, as usual. "Hey guys, what'd I miss?"

Espio started listing off the events of the day. "We figured out where we should look for Storm, we added a new member to the team, and we figured out that Vector is working this case, too. Oh, and we're all staying here tonight."

"Hooray! We should stay up all night telling scary stories!"

Sonic agreed. "That's what I'm say-"

"No!"

"Awww. Party-pooper."

"Hey Charmy," Tails cut in. "Did you get those phones ready?"

"Yes, sir! Right here." He pulled the bag he was wearing off of his back and took out the three devices. "Just like you asked. You can be in constant contact with the other phones."

Tails took two of them. "Good job, Charmy." He flipped open his watch. "Nicole, copy the software changes into the last phone."

"Copying."

"What!" Charmy was floored. "What is that!"

Tails couldn't hide his amusement. "It's an advanced AI system. It works as a personal assistant," he explained as he pulled another phone out of his own bag and handed it to Sonic. "Which reminds me. If I'm gonna have you do my dirty work, you'll probably need one of these." He pulled his spare watch out of his bag and tossed it to a wide-eyed Charmy. He checked his phone. "Crap. Cosmo's called me five times. I probably shouldn't have not shown up at my apartment today."

"Just be happy you haven't married her yet" said Espio. "You'd be stuck in the doghouse for what, a week?"

"A week!" exclaimed Sonic. "Where I come from, it'd be more like a month. Granted, where I come from you could be doing worse things or having worse things be done to you than in the Halogen, but still."

"Thank you so much for that encouragement, guys." Tails dialed Cosmo's number. _Hey, this is Cosmo. Can't pick up right now. Leave a message and I'll get back to you._ He hung up and checked the time. 11:30. She was probably lying awake in bed, wondering where he was. He would call her first thing tomorrow morning.

"Now that that's over with, can we _please_ try to get a goodnights sleep." Espio clearly wasn't one to party hard. They all obliged and settled in for the night, but not before they had a good, old fashioned round of "Goodnights" and "Shut-ups."


	8. Revelations

Hey kid  
>Do I have your attention?<br>I know the way you've been livin'  
>Life so wreckless, tragedy endless<br>Welcome to the family

**- "Welcome to the Family", Avenged Sevenfold**

* * *

><p><strong>Revelations<strong>

Tails awoke early the next morning, but not early enough to see Espio off. He wondered why the chameleon was so insistent on getting such a head start on the day. Sonic was busy snoring, with Charmy curled up next to him, open-mouthed and drooling. He checked his phone. 8:13. No missed calls. He stepped out of the gaping hole in the wall and dialed Cosmo again. She was probably already at his apartment, wondering once again where he was. She picked up on the second ring. "Tails! Where are you! Is something wrong? You didn't come home yesterday!"

He laughed. "You can relax Cosmo. I'm alright. I've just been busy working on a project. Listen, have you talked to your father lately?"

"My father?" That was a strange question. "No, why? Is something wrong?"

"No, I was just wondering." Time to change the subject. Fast. "By the way, I'll probably be out for the next couple of days."

"What are you working on that's so important?"

"It's a…a social experiment that me and some of my friends are doing. Anyway, I'll see you in a few days. Bye." He hung up.

Suddenly he heard Espio's voice. _Tails, you awake?_ He looked around, trying to figure out where the voice had come from. He was sure that Espio had left already. _Tails?_

Then he remembered the modified WT50. He had synched it with his headset last night. "Yeah, I'm awake. Did you learn something?"

_Yeah. One of my guys is a bartender. He says that Storm shows up almost every night. We'll just have to wait until then to make our move._

"That was fast."

_Don't kid yourself. I've been out on the streets since five o' clock._

"Really! Why in the world would you go out at five o' clock? Wouldn't it have been easier to just wait a few hours?"

_My shadier contacts tend to be the nocturnal type. Doesn't matter. I'll be back at the office at 8:30. Make sure the others are awake by then._

Tails walked back into the crumbling building. Charmy was still lying on the floor, dead to the world, but Sonic was nowhere to be found. "Sonic? Sonic!" Tails called out, louder this time. He shook Charmy awake. "Hey Charmy, did you see where Sonic went?"

Charmy blinked at him a few times. "What? Sonic's right he-…Oh. No, I have no idea where he went."

"Darn it." Tails remembered what Espio had told him about the cobalt hedgehog. He hoped that he hadn't made a mistake trusting him. Just then, he came whizzing back in from the street. "Sonic, where were you!"

Sonic raised his hands defensively. "Hey, relax. I just had to go get some breakfast. I doubt Espio has any chili dogs lying around this place" he said with a smirk, as if even the thought of such a thing was foolish.

"Chili dogs for breakfast? That sounds like a wish for every kind of gastrointestinal problem that you could possibly get." He shook his head. "I can't even imagine."

"Well, _excuse_ me, Mr. Party Pooper!"

By now, Charmy was awake enough to join in on the conversation. "Party Pooper! Party Pooper!" He and Sonic laughed.

Tails smiled. "Go ahead and laugh. I'll be the one laughing when you're the one pooping out the party." That sent all three of them into fits of uncontrollable laughter.

"What's so funny?" Espio asked as he walked in.

"Don't…Don't even ask." Tails said, trying to catch his breath and regain his composure.

Charmy chimed in with another "Party Pooper!" and the three lost it again.

Espio looked at them. "You're right. I don't want to know. Anyways, when you guys are ready, can we start formulating a plan to bring in Storm? Please?"

"All right. All right." Tails and the others quickly stifled their laughter. "Charmy, pull up a map of Animapolis."

"What, how? I don't have one." Tails tapped the watch on his wrist, reminding Charmy that he now had his own. "Oh, right," he said sheepishly. He flipped open the watch. "Nicole, pull up a map of Animapolis."

"Excuse me? I don't take orders from you!" Charmy was flustered he had no idea what to do. "Just kidding. Here it is." A blue, three-dimensional rendering of the city projected itself out of the device, slightly separated at the borders of the districts. "Relax, kid. I don't bite. Unless, of course, you throw me under a bus."

Tails opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it and kept his comment to himself. They needed to actually start getting some work done. "Here's what we know," Espio started. "My guy at the District Shelf says that Storm is a regular customer." A building near the line separating The Commons from The LSD was highlighted green on the map. "We need to stake it out and make sure that we grab Storm alive. If things get ugly, we'll have to pull out and start all over, so we can't be raising any suspicion."

Tails' cell phone rang. It was Cosmo. He stepped outside to take the call. "Hey, Cosmo. Were you able to get in touch with your father?"

"No, Tails." Cosmo sounded worried. She may not like her father, but she wasn't one to wish misfortune on anyone. "I tried calling him, but he never answered. I called him at work, but he hasn't gotten in to the office yet."

"Did you try his apartment?"

"Yeah, he wasn't there. Either. I'm worried about him, Tails."

"Don't be. I know someone who can help me find him. I'll call you back."

"Thanks, Tails."

"No problem." He hung up and reentered the building just as Charmy was closing his watch. "What'd I miss?" Espio filled him in. They were going to head out to the Shelf at five o'clock to make sure they would get a good shot at catching Storm. "I hope we don't have any plans until then, because Cosmo's father has gone missing. I told her that we would go find him."

"What!" Espio couldn't hide his incredulity. "How are we supposed to catch Storm if we're going to be off on a search and rescue!"

"It shouldn't take that long" Tails said, trying to ease Espio's rising anxiety. "Even if it does, Storm shows up at the Shelf almost every night. We can get him tomorrow."

Espio scoffed. "Better early than never."

"Hey!" Sonic yelled, indignant. "It's not my fault your partner went and publicly proclaimed me to be your number one suspect!"

Espio gave him a sideways glance."If you knew who I was, then why'd you agree to join our little group?"

"If you knew who I was, why didn't you arrest me the minute you saw me?" Sonic countered. "Or were you just going to use me to catch Storm and then bring me in as a bonus!"

"Actually, I have no idea what happened to Lucy Simmons. There are very few constants in the eyewitness accounts." Tails was anxious to leave, but he had to make sure that these two didn't cut each other's throats.

"And let me guess, I'm one of them!" Espio nodded. Sonic shook his head in frustration. Sold out by his friends and family. He calmed himself down, knowing that nothing but the truth would diffuse the situation. "Then I guess it's story time."

"Good." Espio said firmly.

"Not good, actually," Tails cut in. "I've gotta go." Espio gave him a look that told him he wasn't happy. "Look, if I don't do this, the Prower name is going to die with me. I'll try to be back in time for the stakeout." Espio wasn't convinced. "Listen, if I'm not back, just go without me."

"Fine." He turned to Sonic. "Time to start talking."

"Wait!" Tails stopped them again. "I want to hear this." He took Sonic's WT50 and put it in his hand. "Keep this close." With that, Tails ran out of the house, toward Armonzief's office.

* * *

><p><em>All right, <em>Espio said. _Let's start from the beginning. Where did this all start?_

Sonic started. _**Me and my brother, Manic, we were smoking, up in our room.**_

_Smoking what?_

_**Man, I don't remember! It was a long time ago, and it something I'm no longer proud of!**_

_All right, calm down. So you were smoking…_

_**My brother looked out the window and saw her, Lucy. She wasn't from the Foreign District, but it was clear she had just come from a party. He called me over, suggested that we give her the schizo treatment.**_

_The schizo treatment?_

_**We would do it all the time. I would run around people, whispering in their ear, but they would never see me.**_

_So you pulled it on Lucy?_

_**Right. Some of our buddies knew what we were up to and came out to watch. At first, it was just like any other time. She started freaking out, looking all around…Then she started bending over, holding her head. I should have known something was wrong, but I was high. And then she collapsed. It was the funniest thing we had ever seen…until we realized she wasn't breathing. That was the worst day of my life.**_

_Why didn't you go to the police? Why'd you run away when we came to get you?_

_**I was a little busy going through major withdrawal, and the idea of prison was scary as hell. Honestly, though, I think I would have chosen it over living in the streets. That's been a nightmare.**_

_What about making Animapolis a better place?_

_**Please! Before you guys showed up, the most I ever did was hope.**_

There was a long pause. Tails figured Espio was mulling over what he had just heard. _I think it's time for breakfast._

_**You're not gonna turn me in?**_

_Prison is the place where people go to learn their lesson. Since you've already learned yours and I happen to pay taxes to our great city, I don't feel like wasting that money on your meals._

Sonic laughed. _**Thanks.**_

"Not to ruin your moment, guys, but I found something and I have no idea what it is. It's some sort of logo or something." Tails paused, trying to think of a way to show them. "Hold on. Nicole, scan this. Charmy?"

**Yeah?**

"Pull it up on your watch."

**Yes, sir!**

Tails had gotted to Armonzief's building and asked the head of security if he remembered the incident with Lucas Inanis. He had told him that Inanis had walked out, in frustration and intoxication, under his own power, heading left down the street. Not a block down, Tails had found this. The marking in front of him was a large A overwritten on a circle. It was painted on the wall of a building in red, giving Tails a sense of dread that he couldn't understand.

_I've seen a couple of these around the city recently, but I've never figured out what it meant._

_**I don't even know what it means.**_

_There should be some numbers underneath it referring to the building's address._

"Yeah, I see them." He hadn't noticed the address before. Looking at it now, Tails noticed something strange. "Hey, Espio? This isn't the address for this building. Nicole, where is this?"

"It's an old warehouse in the middle of the LSD. Telecom Engineering Axis."

"Alright. I'm heading over there, guys. I'll let you know what happens."


	9. Sap

Somebody shine a light  
>I'm frozen by the fear in me<br>Somebody make me feel alive  
>And shatter me<p>

- Lindsey Stirling, "Shatter Me" (feat. Lzzy Hale)

* * *

><p><strong>Sap<strong>

"Nicole, would you do the honors?"

"I told you you should have learned lock picking. It's a relevant skill."

It's an electronic lock. I could hack it in my sleep. Of course, if you did it, we'd be inside a lot faster."

"True. I do have a knack for hacking. Plug me in." Tails obliged and watched as the lock scrolled through characters. Luckily, the warehouse had been abandoned by Telecom a few years back. Unluckily, someone else had apparently decided to move in.

"Sonic, how soon will you be here…?" Nothing. "Sonic?" Forget it. The last few characters of the password were rolling into place. "Guess I'm going in alone."

"Open sesame." The lock clicked open as Nicole finished.

Tails took a look at the finished password: TEApartY#7. "Dang it, that would have been my guess." He walked into the warehouse and let the door close behind him. There were two rows of windows just under the roof of the warehouse, leaving things rather dim at ground level of what was a large space. What he saw in that dim light was absolutely disappointing. No crazy LSD party. No crack house full of criminals. No anything. He decided to make his way to the offices on the other side of the cavernous storage room. Maybe he would find a lead in there. Hell, he might even find Cosmo's father passed out next to a bottle of vodka. Tails would never understand how Cosmo could forgive her father's alcoholism. But, she did, and so he was here, searching for him. Her concern for everyone was one of the reasons Tails loved her in the first place. "Nicole, where's the manager's office?"

"It's in the hallway, second door on your left." Up the stairs Tails went, into the hallway and through the second door on the left. He looked around, spotting a computer that was still running. Thankfully, the owner of the computer was not present to spot, or more importantly, spot him. He walked over to the desk it was sitting on and nudged the mouse. The screen came alive and as luck would have it, it wasn't locked. What a n00b.

Suddenly, the sound of thunder reached out and began to beat the windows of the building, causing a few to shatter. Tails ducked behind the desk and tried to place it. Then he became aware of the sound of someone struggling against something, as if trying to push it. Or pull it. _**Stupid door. Wanna play hardwire, eh?**_

Hardwire…? "Sonic, relax. I'll open the door in a second." Tails figured the computer would still be there when he got back. He started back the way he came in.

_**What!? Who said thahhh! **_*rustling**

_Never. Again._

_**Fine. Sheesh. Some people just don't appreciate a good run.**_

Tails was halfway across the warehouse when it hit him. Right on the arm. A drop of some white liquid. Curious, he felt it. Sticky. Another drop. He smelled it. Nothing like paint or glue. Another drop. He decided to fly up to the ceiling and see where it was coming from. _**Anytime now, Tails.**_ He saw a few objects up above him. As he reached the first one, he noticed that they were suspended from the roof with rope. He spun it, trying to find some way of identifying it. The shock of seeing the pale, lifeless face of Cosmo's father nearly threw him to the floor.


	10. The Bodies Exhibit

** AN: Quick roll call so we know who is who. **_Tails_. _**Sonic.** _Nicole. _Espio._ **_Charmy._****Cosmo. There, see. It's not confusing at all.**

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><p>Sweet dreams are made of this<br>Who am I to disagree  
>Travel the world and the seven seas<br>Everybody's looking for something

- **Marilyn Manson, "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)"**

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><p><strong>The Bodies Exhibit<strong>

Tails slowly turned to him. "The bodies…so many of them."

"Calm down, Tails. What bodies?"

Tails reached up and pulled some of what looked like glue out of the fur on his arm and began running it between his fingers. "I found him…Oh, God, I found him!" He was becoming hysterical

_**Uh, Espio, you might want to see this.**_

But Espio already knew what he would see in the warehouse. One of them, at least. He went in, hoping that he piece together what had happened. As he was arriving, Sonic ran up the wall, across the roof, and plucked the last bundle from its suspension. He had placed the others in a row on the floor, and he placed this one at the end. Five in total. Espio looked over the bodies, but he failed to see a connection. There was Cosmo's father, the Seedrian, and then there were…other guys. Okay, all men, that was a start. What about the symbol that had led them here? Every other one had the address of the building it was painted on, but this one had broken that pattern. Multiple bodies, a cry for attention, theatricality: A serial killer. But what game was he playing? This empty room wasn't providing very many clues.

Hey, Espio, you might want to check in the office. Tails found an active computer in there.

"Thanks." He made his way over to the office area, up the stairs and into the manager's office. He sat down at the desk and moved the mouse. Finally, a computer he knew how to use. He opened up the file explorer. It only took him a few seconds to find what he was looking for: a folder named "Journal". What an amateur. Espio read through the entries, trying to get inside the killer's head. Outside, Sonic tried to bring Tails back to earth.

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><p>"Tails? Tails, look at me." The fox turned his glassy eyes on the hedgehog. "You can't lose it. You need to focus." No response. "Tails who did this?"<p>

"What?" the fox managed to get out through a tightened throat.

"You heard me. Who did this?"

"I-I don't know-I don't know who did this. Who did this? Who did this? Who did this!?"

"Tails! Pull-"

"The computer! The computer in the office-"

_Already on it. Looks like it's a tea party this time_

"This time? What does that mean? Who did it?"

_Serial killers are all about the game. In this case, the party. Looks like most of the characters are here: the king, the jester, the servant, the tramp, and the gentleman. All he's missing is…the princess-_

"Wait, go back. The tramp? Of course, it would be his drinking that did him. Bastard."

_If you don't mind, I'd like to get back to the part where a young girl in our city is in terrible danger._

Tails paused. Took a deep breath. "You're right. Who is she?"

_Amy Rose, a girl from the Commons. Looks like he's been stalking her for a while. We should get over there as fast as we can._

"That's where I come in!" Sonic proclaimed triumphantly, striking a pose.

_On second thought, I settle for not so fast._

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><p>The first night Tails had ever met Cosmo was one of the more forgetful ones of his life. It was at one of the many banquets that his father insisted on taking him to. They were like parties, only with a lot less familiarity, a lot more small talk, and a lot less fun. And suits, the clothing perfectly fashioned for doing absolutely nothing. With the amount of people that came to greet the Prowers, you'd think that there some kind of contest where one lucky soul who spoke to them would get a share of their wealth. Tails couldn't tell you just when that night became unforgettable. Perhaps it was when he noticed the Seedrian seated a few tables away, or the way he treated his daughter as the night wore on and the alcohol ran. Or maybe it was when he slipped to that table while her father was away for a drink and saw her eyes cry for help, or when he asked her to dance as her father made his way back to the table. He had never told her that part. He didn't want to dilute the feeling. Sadly, he'd been too slow to protect her from her father this time.<p>

_Hey, Cosmo. I…have some news about your father. I need to talk to you. I'll, uh, tell you more tonight…I love you._


End file.
